WORDS. |Kim Seungmin

Twelve.

"Hey," Aria said softly as she placed a tray with bubble tea, Frappe, and two blueberry cheesecakes on the table.

Aria sat down opposing the boy who looked at her with his tender smile, not knowing how this little gesture affected the girl's heart. Aria pushed the bubble tea and one of the cakes towards him which he faced with a grateful nod.

"So," She started talking. "You like literature, don't you?"

The boy shook his head.

"What?" Aria questioned with confusion. "Y-You seemed like you are interested in it or I don't know. You look like someone who would enjoy literature." She shrugged.

The boy let out a silent chuckle and rested his back to the chair. He looked amused by the confused face that Aria was having. He then grabbed his backpack from the seat next to him and pulled a note and a pen from it.

Aria watched him opening the note and uncovering his pen before he starts scrabbling something, then he pushed the note towards her.

"Who the hell enjoys literature? I just study it cause I want to end that agony of attending those life-sucking lectures early in the morning, that have nothing except our professor nagging about some losers failing their lives but somehow ended being history makers."

Aria was reading the words he wrote with a dropped jaw. She never thought that he had this attitude. She lifted her head to look at him who was still amused by her surprised reaction. The boy pulled the note to write something before he pushes it towards her again. Aria looked down at what he wrote this time.

"Just because I don't talk, doesn't make me a loser or a boring nerd. No one likes literature."

Aria looked at him again. She kept blinking for a few seconds before she finally could realize what she had just done. Her eyes widened and her face dropped.

"No. No, I didn't mean that." She panicked crossing her hands and shaking them vigorously. "I didn't, really. It's just because I always see you fully concentrating at those lectures. Like, the only one who's paying attention to what the professor says and all. So, I thought that you like it and tha-"

Aria's panicking was cut by another silent chuckle from the boy who was waving his hand at her. Aria gasped for air and looked at him with guilt. She didn't mean it that way. The boy pushed her frappe towards her in a kind manner. He pulled the note and resumed writing while Aria sipped her drink nervously.

"It's okay. I know you didn't mean it. I was just teasing you." He pushed the note for her to read. Once she sighed in relief that he didn't get offended, he pulled the note again to write more. "If everything is settled, shall we start working on that bloody project so we both get good grades?"

Aria chuckled at his written words. She lifted her head and looked at him with a wide smile decorating her face. "Okay, let's get this done." Aria said slamming her hand to the table.

Time was passing with the two new partners discussing the project. Aria was talking while he would only nod or write down the note. Although only her giggles and chuckles were heard, he was giggling too but silently.

Changbin was watching from behind the counter. He was wondering how they were communicating that smoothly but he was preparing to tease his friend after the boy leaves.

"Well, I guess that's it for today." Aria said after almost one hour. They both agreed on a few things like the topic, the outlines of their project, and when to meet again.

The boy nodded at her and started packing up his belongings. Slowly, the two partners stood up and walked together to the cafe's door.

"See you tomorrow." Aria said opening the door for the boy.

She smiled at him and the boy smiled back widely. He stepped outside to leave but stopped in his track and turned again to face her. He pulled out his phone and typed something to it before he shoves it to Aria.

"Your number?" It read.

"Oh, right." She said. Aria took the phone in her hand and typed down her number then gave him the phone back.

The boy received the phone, bowed down lightly, and left. Aria watched his back getting far away till it was out of her sight. She exhaled loudly before she turns and walks into the café again.

She was making her way towards the counter when her phone dinged in her pocket. She pulled her phone out and unlocked it to find that she received a text from an unknown number.

"By the way, it's Seungmin."